A Kano State High Court has sentenced a man, Salisu Idris, to death by hanging for setting a house on fire, resulting in the death of a family of three.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu delivered the judgment on Tuesday, stating that the prosecution had proven its case against Idris beyond reasonable doubt. “I hereby sentence Idris to death by hanging for burning the victims alive,” she ruled.
Idris, a resident of Gayawa Quarters in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State, was convicted on charges of abetment and culpable homicide.
According to the prosecution, led by Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, the incident occurred around 2 a.m. on September 25, 2019. Idris, alongside an accomplice identified as Aliyu Abdullahi-Anas—who remains at large—allegedly set fire to the residence of 50-year-old Aminu Bala. The blaze killed Bala, his wife, and their two-year-old child.
The prosecution presented two witnesses and submitted Idris’s confessional statement to the court. Though Idris denied involvement in the crime, the evidence was found sufficient for conviction.
The offences contravene Sections 85 and 221 of the Penal Code.
Defence counsel Mustafa Hussaini presented Idris as the sole witness for the defence.
